Family

1. S01E01Pilot (a.k.a. The Best Years)March 9, 1976—Buddy hears Kate say something about her, and isn't happy. Also, Nancy walks in on Jeff with another woman.
2. S01E02Monday is ForeverMarch 16, 1976—Kate has to wait until Monday to find out whether she has cancer; Buddy and her friend Laura Richardson have until Monday, when the latter's
3. S01E03A Special Kind of LovingMarch 23, 1976—Willie meets, and starts spending lots of time with, Salina -- leading to a tiff with Buddy, right when she needs him to help conquer her fe
4. S01E04A Right and Proper GoodbyeMarch 30, 1976—Kate's mother comes for one last visit.
5. S01E05Thursday's ChildApril 6, 1976—As Timmy Jr.'s christening approaches, the whole family (especially Buddy, who stubbornly refuses to take part) relives the painful memories
6. S01E06Point of DepartureApril 13, 1976—Doug resents Willie's attitude towards work, the universe, and everything; a string of burglaries sweeps through the neighborhood.

Season 1 ranked & reviewed

1. S02E01Coming ApartOctober 6, 1976—Buddy gets a job at a bakery, and introduces Willie to her boss, ""Big Al""; Nancy gets involved with Peter, while she's finalizing her divo
2. S02E02Such Sweet SorrowOctober 19, 1976—Salina drops by, at a time when Willie is having problems with Alex; Doug is offered a great job in New York.
3. S02E03Home MovieOctober 26, 1976—Willie drives everyone crazy by following them around and filming them; Buddy has difficulty with a school assignment -- writing a speech on
4. S02E04Coming of AgeNovember 9, 1976—Buddy officially reaches puberty; Nancy is caught between Kate's resentment of her thoughtlessness, Peter's proposal of marriage, and a come
5. S02E05Jury Duty (1)November 16, 1976—Kate is subjected to widespread abuse for being the lone holdout; Buddy captures first prize, T.J.'s heart, and (for good measure) the real
6. S02E06Jury Duty (2)November 23, 1976—Kate is subjected to widespread abuse for being the lone holdout; Buddy captures first prize, T.J.'s heart, and (for good measure) the real
7. S02E07The Cradle Will FallNovember 30, 1976—Buddy completes her orthodontal treatment; Salina returns to town once again, only to be plunged into a custody battle with her daughter's f
8. S02E08Skeleton in the ClosetDecember 7, 1976—Doug must face his sister Emily's alcoholism. Buddy tries to help a senior citizen she spots shoplifting food from the supermarket.
9. S02E09On The First Day Of Christmas (a.k.a. The Christmas Story)December 21, 1976—Doug is suspicious when his father introduces his new, and much younger, girlfriend; Nancy and Jeff have a fight over who gets Timmy over Ch
10. S02E10Rites of FriendshipDecember 28, 1976—A friend of Willie's comes out of the closet; Buddy, after getting invited to the ""Junior Jump"" by a popular boy, asks Nancy to teach her
11. S02E11An Eye to the FutureJanuary 4, 1977—Buddy (as ""Diamond In the Rough"") gets heavily into the CB scene; Kate decides to go back to college; Doug does a stint as a judge.
12. S02E12Lovers and StrangersJanuary 11, 1977—Willie gets cradle-robbed by a visiting movie director, and takes it much too seriously; Doug gets a dog as a birthday present.
13. S02E13Return EngagementJanuary 18, 1977—Maggie Calder, the woman who nearly destroyed Doug and Kate's marriage 20 years ago, is back for a second attempt. Buddy feels she's being t
14. S02E14Mirror, Mirror on the Wall . . .February 1, 1977—A daughter whom Elaine gave up for adoption years ago finds her, through Kate; Willie is intrigued by a pretty client at the photo studio wh
15. S02E15Someone's WatchingFebruary 8, 1977—A series of anonymous gifts eventually makes Nancy feel threatened; Buddy's motor-mouth school-project partner uses the Lawrences as his sur
16. S02E16A Safe HouseFebruary 15, 1977—A former friend of Willie's, now an outlaw, gives him a call; Buddy thinks she has a great scoop for the school paper.
17. S02E17Best FriendsFebruary 22, 1977—Nancy attends her high-school reunion, meeting the guy she dumped to marry Jeff; T.J. asks Buddy to a formal dance, causing a rift with Audr
18. S02E18Taking Chances (1)March 1, 1977—When Doug loses his sight after getting hit by a car, opinions are divided as to whether he should undergo an operation that could either re
19. S02E19Taking Chances (2)March 8, 1977—After spending an eternity as a blind man whose youngest daughter despises him, Doug finally musters up the courage to have the operation --
20. S02E20Comings and GoingsMarch 22, 1977—Willie and Salina search for an apartment together. Jeff's mother Sylvia is confined to the Lawrence home following a back injury and a quar
21. S02E21. . . More Things in Heaven and EarthMarch 29, 1977—Kate is shaken by what a supposed psychic says about her long-missing aunt; Nancy lands a prestigious legal assignment, and suspects her loo
22. S02E22An Endangered SpeciesMay 3, 1977—A recently-divorced friend wants to hang out with Kate; Nancy gets upset when a classmate asks to use her place for an affair with a married

Season 2 ranked & reviewed

1. S03E01Acts of Love (1)September 13, 1977—While Nancy and Buddy prepare for their parents' 25th wedding-anniversary party, Willie meets, and falls in love with, a physics student nam
2. S03E02Acts of Love (2)September 20, 1977—Lizzy dies, but not before Willie convinces her to marry him first.
3. S03E03The First TimeSeptember 27, 1977—Kate unhappily contemplates her 49th birthday; T.J. asks Buddy to go steady with him, but she's not sure.
4. S03E04Change of HeartOctober 4, 1977—Nancy is jealous of Jeff's new fiancée.
5. S03E05Annie LaurieOctober 25, 1977—Doug gets propositioned by a female lawyer.
6. S03E06We Love You, Miss JessupNovember 1, 1977—Buddy's English teacher gets outed; Willie suspects Nancy of being a home-wrecker.
7. S03E07The Little BrotherNovember 8, 1977—Willie fails to understand a black thing; Buddy develops an interest in genealogy.
8. S03E08Childhood's EndNovember 15, 1977—Buddy's friend Laura returns for a visit, and -- guess what? -- she, too, is now an alkie; a friend of Doug's, a divorced father, is apprehe
9. S03E09A Tale Out of SeasonNovember 22, 1977—Doug's colleague and protégé turns out to be a child-beater; Nancy finds a puppy; Buddy finally gets into the Thanksgiving spirit.
10. S03E10Labors of LoveNovember 29, 1977—Buddy, upset by a lack of attention from T.J., tries to make him jealous by hanging out with a geek; Willie catches the eye of his cute übe
11. S03E11A Child is GivenDecember 13, 1977—
12. S03E12More Than FriendsJanuary 3, 1978—Nancy hits it off with Willie's former writing teacher, but things get awkward when he pans Willie's script.
13. S03E13Princess in the TowerJanuary 10, 1978—Kate, slightly sick of family life, checks out a model apartment in a brand-new high-rise condo -- and gets trapped overnight, along with a
14. S03E14Echoes of LoveJanuary 17, 1978—Willie can't stop reminiscing about Lizzy, so he hooks up with her former roommate; Audrey is depressed because her parents are splitting up
15. S03E15See SawJanuary 24, 1978—Kate volunteers to help a moody (and arithmetic-obsessed) young patient at the Braille institute; Willie works on installing Timmy's new bed
16. S03E16LifelineJanuary 31, 1978—Nancy plays hot-line operator when her classmate attempts suicide, to get back at her married boyfriend for breaking up her; Buddy baby-sits
17. S03E17. . . And Baby Makes ThreeFebruary 7, 1978—Nancy and Jeff aren't sure whether to get back together; Buddy is disgusted that Audrey has fallen for the cheap ploys of the school Casanov
18. S03E18Crossing OverFebruary 14, 1978—Willie has an appointment with a big-shot film producer, on the eve of his 21st birthday; then, he and Doug make friends with a stripper.
19. S03E19The CovenantFebruary 21, 1978—Medical crises abound in the family when James reveals to Doug that he must soon undergo exploratory surgery, and Nancy begins to miscarry J
20. S03E20A Friend of the Family'sFebruary 28, 1978—A somewhat unscrupulous former friend of Willie's drops by; Buddy needs driving lessons; Kate and Doug consider taking separate vacations.
21. S03E21Fear of ShadowsMay 2, 1978—Kate has a recurring nightmare about running over a little boy; Buddy gets a pet raccoon.
22. S03E22Sleeping GypsyMay 9, 1978—Everyone at school dislikes Buddy's bohemian friend; Kate gives Doug a plaid jacket he doesn't much care for.
23. S03E23CounterpointMay 16, 1978—Kate has to go back and repeat a class she flunked the previous semester, and gets picked on by a snobby professor; Doug contemplates early

Season 3 ranked & reviewed

1. S04E01Starting OverSeptember 21, 1978—Annie's sole surviving relative dumps her into the Lawrences' lap -- where she doesn't feel quite comfortable, at first.
2. S04E02All For LoveSeptember 28, 1978—Zack tells Buddy that unless she sleeps with him, he will have to satisfy his manly needs with another girl; Doug thinks of buying a flashy
3. S04E03ChangesOctober 12, 1978—Nancy is all set to re-marry Jeff; Annie, heretofore known as ""Annie Cooper,"" decides to add ""Lawrence"" to her name; Buddy, ever the tra
4. S04E04MagicOctober 19, 1978—Kate, in the hospital for a physical, meets a burned-out former rock star; Annie needs Doug's help to impress her classmates with magic tric
5. S04E05Just FriendsNovember 9, 1978—Willie considers an affair with a married woman he met in a writing class; Nancy, sick of living in a ""fishbowl,"" decides to move out of t
6. S04E06GenerationsNovember 23, 1978—The family decides to spend Thanksgiving at Hattie's farm where Kate faces ghosts from the past. Buddy is intrigued by a local boy.
7. S04E07ExpectationsDecember 7, 1978—Nancy's new boss pressures her to sleep with him; Buddy tries out for the cheerleading squad.
8. S04E08GiftsDecember 21, 1978—Annie, who still misses her parents, can't relate to the Lawrences' holiday cheer, and decides to run away until Christmas is over; Willie r
9. S04E09The Friend's AffairJanuary 4, 1979—A colleague and friend of Doug's is cheating on his wife; Annie suspects a next-door neighbor of having murdered his.
10. S04E10Exits and EntrancesJanuary 11, 1979—After Buddy stars in a high-school play (Shaw's Saint Joan), her interest in acting is strongly encouraged by a friend of Kate's, a professi
11. S04E11Moment of TruthJanuary 18, 1979—A man he once helped put in jail threatens Doug; Buddy and Audrey have a fight about who copied from whom on an algebra test.
12. S04E12Malicious MischiefJanuary 25, 1979—Nancy considers a marriage proposal from Timmy's daycare provider -- until he gets accused of child abuse; Willie falls in love with a cat.
13. S04E13Sleeping OverFebruary 1, 1979—Buddy's invitation to a sorority becomes a sore point in her friendship with Audrey when Audrey isn't invited to join. Willie sleeps with Ka
14. S04E14Disco QueenFebruary 8, 1979—Buddy sneaks into a disco club, with the help of an older acquaintance, and finds it more than she bargained for; Annie has a date with a jo
15. S04E15The AthleteMarch 1, 1979—Buddy, volunteering at a hospital, encounters a star high-school basketball player who is there for a broken leg -- or so he thinks; Annie r
16. S04E16The CompetitionMarch 8, 1979—Buddy learns the price of competition when an overachieving classmate commits suicide after losing a history competition to her. Annie's coo
17. S04E17BallerinaMarch 15, 1979—Willie has a fling with a ballet dancer; Doug purchases a workout set by mail order.
18. S04E18DiversionsMarch 22, 1979—While studying for the bar exam, Nancy's attention is diverted by a charming and seemingly accident-prone neighbor.
19. S04E19An Apple For the TeacherMarch 30, 1979—Kate's teaching career gets off to a rough start, when a student decides to continuously annoy her; Annie borrows Buddy's ""lucky"" ring to
20. S04E20PreludeApril 20, 1979—Buddy has a crush on her swimming instructor, much to Zack's displeasure; Kate is tempted to call an old boyfriend.
21. S04E21Going StraightMay 10, 1979—Willie hires Bambi Deering, the stripper he met on his 21st birthday. Doug attempts to save hefty plumber's fees by repairing the household
22. S04E22From Russia With LoveMay 17, 1979—Kate acts as escort to, and highly impresses, a visiting Ukrainian composer; Buddy and Annie play Monopoly to determine who gets Willie's ol

Season 4 ranked & reviewed

1. S05E01ThanksgivingNovember 20, 1979—Doug's father starts showing his age.
2. S05E02'Tis the SeasonDecember 24, 1979—A pre-Christmas argument with Willie nearly gives Doug a heart attack; Buddy invites her school's janitor to her house, where he quickly end
3. S05E03Jack of HeartsJanuary 14, 1980—Buddy and Nancy find themselves in a love triangle; Annie dabbles in the occult.
4. S05E04When the Bough BreaksJanuary 21, 1980—Kate finds out she's pregnant; a friend of Buddy's, on vacation from her all-girls school, picks Willie as a seduction target.
5. S05E05Hard TimesJanuary 28, 1980—Two friends of Buddy's who have been going steady for 3 years are having relationship problems -- and when she tries to help, the results ar
6. S05E06WhispersFebruary 4, 1980—Buddy's friendship with a teacher gives rise to rumors; Annie uses questionable tactics to get Willie to let her interview him for her schoo
7. S05E07Play on LoveMarch 3, 1980—Willie finds the director of his play more interesting than Rachel; Buddy insists on buying an old sports car, over Doug's objections.
8. S05E08Daylight SerenadeMarch 10, 1980—Buddy has an ambiguous relationship with a nerdy schoolmate whom Kate is training for a piano recital; Nancy begs Annie to teach her how to
9. S05E09Such a Fine LineMarch 17, 1980—A schoolboy has a crush on Kate; Jeff, now an in-over-his-head rock manager, blows into town with his band.
10. S05E10The Ties That BindJune 4, 1980—Elaine resurfaces in Kate's life after being dumped by Fred for a younger woman. Meanwhile, Annie experiences abandonment issues, too.
11. S05E11Just Like Old TimesJune 11, 1980—Buddy tries to make everyone think she didn't get into any of the schools she applied to; Doug wants Annie to share his obsession with baseb
12. S05E12SmartsJune 18, 1980—Annie gets picked on by her classmates, for being too smart; Buddy, studying for her SATs, worries that she's not smart enough.
13. S05E13Letting GoJune 25, 1980—Doug is upset when Buddy starts dating a 21-year-old; Annie is jealous of an old friend who has matured much faster than she has.

Season 5 ranked & reviewed